Drosophila models to study human mitochondrial diseases
Official title: Drosophila models of human mitochondrial diseases
Funded at Harvard Medical School · NIH-11384513 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist at Harvard Medical School is creating fly-based tools to study how mitochondrial problems cause human diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $793,667 |
| NIH project number | 5R24OD035556-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384513 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include people with mitochondrial diseases caused by genetic mutations in the human genes represented by the fly models.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions are not related to mitochondrial dysfunction or do not involve the targeted genes may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project uses the fruit fly as a simple, cost-effective model to explore how defects in mitochondria contribute to conditions like muscle weakness, heart problems, diabetes, and aging. Researchers will develop tools to detect fly proteins that correspond to human mitochondrial disease genes, enabling better understanding of disease mechanisms. They plan to insert a recognizable tag into the fly genes and validate the models so future studies can test therapies in a living organism.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could provide new fly-based resources to study human mitochondrial diseases and accelerate discovery of treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that Drosophila models can reveal meaningful insights into human mitochondrial biology and disease mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Medical School
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Perrimon, Norbert — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Perrimon, Norbert
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This study is looking for new treatment options for people with two rare inherited mitochondrial diseases, MELAS and LHON-Plus, which cause serious health issues, and it aims to see if a shared treatment can help both groups of patients feel better.
-
Using fruit flies to study human mitochondrial diseases
This study is looking at how mitochondrial diseases work by using fruit flies to learn more about the problems they cause, which can lead to muscle weakness and organ issues, and it aims to find new ways to detect and treat these conditions.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.